A convenient way of storing and transporting cyclopropene compounds is in the form of complexes with molecular encapsulating agents. Such a complex is useful, for example, for use in treating plants or plant parts by contacting the plants or plant parts with the complex in order to bring about contact between the plants or plant parts and the cyclopropene. Such treatment of plants or plant parts is often effective at desirably interrupting one or more ethylene-mediated process in the plants or plant parts. For example, such treatment of plant parts can sometimes desirably delay unwanted ripening. For another example, such treatment of crop plants prior to harvest can sometimes improve the yield of the crop.
US Patent Application Publication 2009/0035380 discloses an oil medium with particles dispersed in that oil medium, and the particles contain cyclopropene compound and molecular encapsulating agent. The oil described by US 2009/0035380 is a liquid that is not water. Generally, such an oil easily allows the dispersed particles to diffuse to the boundary between the oil and air or water. When such a particle encounters such a boundary, the result is often premature release of the cyclopropene compound from the particle.
It is desired to provide a composition in which particles that contain cyclopropene compound and molecular encapsulating agent are dispersed in a non-aqueous continuous phase, where the composition does not allow such easy diffusion of the particles to the boundary of the non-aqueous continuous phase. It is contemplated that such a composition would be useful for treating plants or plant parts, either by bringing the composition itself into contact with plants or plant parts or by dispersing the composition in a diluent such as, for example, water, and then bringing the resultant dispersion into contact with plants or plant parts.